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The Cardiff teenager who faces the threat of being removed from the UK – despite having lived here since he was 10 – has described how he was kept in jail-like conditions.

Bashir Naderi, who was born in Afghanistan, was last week given a temporary reprieve from being sent back to the troubled nation after a judge granted a 14-day injunction against his removal – while he was en route to London Gatwick airport.

He had been kept in detention centres, which he likened to prisons for 11 days, and has now spoken of his relief at being back home with loved ones.

But the threat of removal – it is not called deportation because he hasn’t committed any crimes – has still not gone away, with his legal team having been given a fortnight to appeal against the removal order.

Bashir Naderi is now back in Cardiff

More than 10,000 people have now signed a petition begging for Bashir, who first came to the Welsh capital when he was 10, to be allowed to stay.

He was trafficked out of Afghanistan as a youngster by his mother so that he could escape the clutches of the Taliban, who murdered his father.

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But he has no contact with his family there and doesn’t speak the language.

The 19-year-old painting and decorating student at Cardiff and Vale College has thanked all those who have lent their support, including girlfriend of more than two years Nicole Cooper, her family and his foster mother Dawn Jackson.

Bashir Naderi after being reunited with girlfriend, Nicole Cooper, last week

And the college, as well as his former high school Mary Immaculate in Wenvoe, are among the places where “Stand Up for Bash” events will take place on Tuesday to show solidarity with him.

“I really would like to say thanks to all the people who have supported me,” said Bashir, a Liverpool fan and film buff who plays cricket, does judo and used to turn out for his school’s rugby team.

“I am just really glad to be out of the detention centre, and with my family.

“It’s just been crazy. I can’t believe it – two weeks ago I was in college doing my exams. I had more to come but I couldn’t do them because I was in the detention centre.”

Bashir Naderi has said the detention centres where he was kept were like prisons

Bashir was detained on October 20 after going for a regulation monthly meeting with Home Office officials in Cardiff.

He was first taken to HMP Parc in Bridgend before being transferred to the Campsfield House immigration removal centre in Oxfordshire.

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“To me, it was like a prison,” Bashir explained. “I have never been anywhere like it before but people already there who had been to prison said it was similar.

“I was very scared.

“But I thought I would be there for a couple of days and then be allowed to go back to my family.”

The teenager fled the Taliban

Bashir, who lives in a flat in Cathays , was kept in a room at Campsfield House with three others.

They slept in two bunk beds – while bars prevented the windows being opened fully.

The detention centre had set meal times and if any detainees wanted a cigarette or to go outside they had to do so inside a caged-off area no bigger than a normal-sized living room.

They were also given lockers for whatever possessions they had – but Bashir had first been taken there without being allowed to pack, wearing just a jumper and tracksuit bottoms and carrying a bag which contained his college things such as pens and pencils.

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It was only when Nicole and her parents were allowed to visit for the first time on the Saturday that he was able to have some semblance of civility.

Bashir and Nicole

He was visited by them and foster mum Dawn every day during his detention.

But last Monday they were told he would be flown back to Afghanistan.

Reluctant to be taken away he had tried to resist a clutch of guards taking him to the airport, but was overpowered and left with an injury to his wrist.

A week on he is still wearing a cast.

A cast on Bashir's wrist where he was injured during the process which saw him taken to Gatwick before his removal was halted

In the meantime his family were desperately seeking a court injunction, which a judge finally granted at 2.59pm on Monday.

Nicole then phoned Bashir – who had his own phone confiscated in the detention centre because it had a camera, but was allowed to keep his sim card to use in a cheap device he was given – to tell him about the temporary reprieve.

Minutes later the five guards who were driving him in a minibus to Gatwick were told by their bosses.